 Braced for economic headwinds this year
Last year was a better-than-expected year for the Singapore economy, but given the uncertainties that lie ahead, projections for 2019 are more circumspect, and for good reason.
— Straits Times
Singapore donates record amount via charity site in 2018, half a million on Christmas
Last year, Singapore donated S$30 million to online charity portal Giving.sg, with a third of that donated in December alone and half a million donated on Christmas Day.
— Channel News Asia
Singapore’s 2018 Year-in-Review by PM Lee is surprisingly upbeat
In his 2019 New Year’s message, PM Lee use quite a lot of positive adjectives to describe Singapore’s growth this past year. Describing 2018 as a ‘productive year for Singapore’, PM Lee first noted that the local economy grew steadily at 3.3%, exceeding expectations.
— The Online Citizen
ICA officer jailed 3 years for extensive abuse of power
An Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer abused his position and used his work-issued phone to alert three Chinese nationals working illegally here to impending raids.
— Straits Times
UK may draw strength from S’pore independence: Hunt
As Britain prepares to leave the European Union in three months, its Foreign Secretary said it can draw encouragement from Singapore – on how gaining independence in 1965 did not make the Republic more insular, but more open.
— Straits Times
S’pore re-telecast censors Miss Universe Philippines Q&A about legalisation of marijuana use
No one is allowed to talk about drugs this way.
— Mothership
ICA seizes 7,500 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes
A truck driver tried to smuggle almost 7,500 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes into Singapore by declaring the contraband consignment to be rockwool.
— Straits Times
10 must-reads for today
The Sir Stamford Raffles statue next to the Singapore River at Boat Quay looks like it is disappearing, thanks to some dark grey outdoor acrylic paint.
— Straits Times
New amendments to the Private Security Industry (Conduct) Regulations, unnecessarily harsh on security guards
by Loh Teck Yong Today, I fell asleep at my workplace and the cops came down to arrest me. I will be facing a 3-month jail sentence. FML. It sounds like a very bad FML joke, right? Except, it’s not. With effect from 1st January 2019, security guards who display errant behaviour while on the …
— The Online Citizen
CAD managed to recover only a fraction of sum from Premium Liquid Assets (PLA) over its investment scam
The Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) released a statement today (2 January) saying that it has seized a total of S$1588.35 from the bank accounts of PLA during the course of our investigation. The statement was shared by the CEO of Empower Advisory, Douglas Chow, on his Facebook page. He said, It is believed there are …
— The Online Citizen
Should You Invest in Companies That Promise to Turnaround?
Turnarounds usually do not turn. Not easily, anyway.
— Motley Fool sg
New mobile app launched for schools to send updates to parents
A one-stop mobile app that was launched on Wednesday (Jan 2) now allows schools to update parents on programmes and activities, as well as provides a platform for performing administrative matters.Â
— Channel News Asia
The Worst-Performing Blue Chip Shares In 2018 (Part 1)
Here are some of the worst-performing Straits Times Index (SGX: ^STI) companies in Singapore in 2018.
— Motley Fool sg
Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS) to be extended to all HDB flat types with effect from 1 January 2019
The Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS) will be extended to all HDB flat types with effect from 1 January 2019, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) announced in a press release on Tuesday (1 January).
— The Online Citizen
Removal of straws part of efforts toward environmental protection, sustainability: Yakult Singapore
Yakult Singapore on Wednesday (Jan 2) said it is looking at alternative materials to replace plastic as part of its packaging, following its earlier announcement that it would no longer be providing straws with its drinks.
— Channel News Asia
Singapore’s private home prices rise nearly 8% in 2018
Private home prices in Singapore rose 7.9 per cent in 2018, compared with a 1.1 per cent rise the year before, according to flash estimates from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on Wednesday (Jan 2).
— Channel News Asia
HDB resale prices fall 0.9% in 2018
Prices of resale flats in Singapore fell 0.9 per cent in 2018 compared to the year before, flash estimates released by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) on Wednesday (Jan 2) showed.
— Channel News Asia
900,000 HDB households to receive utilities rebate in January
About 900,000 Singaporean households living in Housing Board flats will receive vouchers to offset part of their utility bills this month.
— Straits Times
Go-Jek goes full blast in Singapore
Starting Wednesday (January 2), ride-hailing users can go on Go-Jek rides everywhere in Singapore. Following our successful limited service area rollout, GOJEK is excited to announce that we will extend our ride-hailing services to the whole of Singapore with effect from Jan 2, 2019,” company authorities said.
— The Independent sg
Organising for future politics in Singapore
by Tan Wah Piow What does it tell us about the state of world affairs when politicians need to appeal to Facebook and other social media giants, to censor contents which are deemed problematic? It means that In this digital age, dictators can no longer enjoy the monopoly of the tools of information dissemination
— The Online Citizen
Singtel CEO Chua Sock Koong becomes first woman appointed to Council of Presidential Advisers
Singtel chief Chua Sock Koong has become the first woman in Singapore to be appointed to the Council of Presidential Advisers (CPA), the Istana announced on Wednesday (Jan 2).
— Channel News Asia
Three-quarter tank rule to apply to Singapore diesel-powered vehicles from April
From Apr 1 this year, all Singapore-registered diesel-powered vehicles will be required to have at least three-quarters of a tank of fuel when leaving Singapore via the land checkpoints, said Singapore Customs on Wednesday (Jan 2).
— Channel News Asia
New Year at the airport, more than 300 passengers delayed on Taipei to Singapore flight
Singapore – Imagine being stuck in the airport for 48 hours, more so on New Year. Flight TR899 passengers experienced just that when their Scoot flight from Taipei to Singapore got delayed for two days.
— The Independent sg
Stocks to watch: Raffles Medical, Aoxin Q & M Dental, Artivision Technologies
The following companies saw new developments that may affect trading of their shares on Wednesday (Jan 2):
— Straits Times
Raffles Medical opens hospital in Chongqing, its first in China
Raffles Medical Group opened a 700-bed hospital in Chongqing, making it the group’s first international tertiary hospital in the country, it said in a Singapore Exchange announcement before market open on Wednesday (Jan 2).
— Straits Times
Feature photo The Cabin Singapore
This week’s Singapore morning news feature photo focuses on the death, pain, and loss that typically occurs at this time of year on Asean roads due to drunk driving, speeding, and a failure to wear protective helmets when travelling on motorbikes.
Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).
Singapore morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Singapore news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.
Singapore morning news for January 3 added by Mark Roy on
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A a professional photographer since the days of film, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in Photomedia and a Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism.
Latest posts by Mark Roy (see all)
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- Singapore morning news for January 2 – January 2, 2019